Make your own Christmas cookies for Santa this year. You need:

250g of plain flour

125g of butter

125g of brown sugar

1 small egg - beaten

2 teaspoons of mixed spice

For the icing:

125g of icing sugar

1-2 tablespoons of hot water

Food colouring

Mix up the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the egg a little at a time.

Sieve the flour, salt and spice. Mix this with the butter, sugar and egg mixture until you have a firm ball of dough.

Roll out the dough using a rolling pin until it is 1-2cm thick.

Cut out any shape you like - Borders is selling mini cookie cutters for Christmas.

Place the shapes on a greased baking tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes (190C / 375F / Gas mark 5)

To make the icing, mix together the icing sugar and hot water, then add the food colouring. When the cookies have cooled, spread the icing on each one.